News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Thursday, Feb 9th

NEWS AND NOTES

-CLICK HERE for our latest Under the Radar Video Podcast, where we recap a rather eventful week and look at all the leagues as conference tournaments approach 

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Games of the Day, featuring two important games in the Big South and America East – CLICK HERE

-For Jon Teitel’s interview with Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw – CLICK HERE

-Baylor blew what appeared to be a comfortable lead in the final minutes against Oklahoma State, but held on to win.  It would have been the second straight huge win for Oklahoma State and really catapulted their resume had they been able to hold on.

-Virginia Tech, who is inside the bubble and trying to avoid falling out of it, fell to a Miami FL team that is outside the bubble and trying to reach it.

-And last, but certainly not least, VCU, for the second straight game, managed to win after their opponents hit what appeared to be a game winning three from the corner with less than half a second to go.  Over the weekend we saw them escape from Saint Bonaventure after a technical foul was called during all the commotion that ensued after the Bonnies hit what appeared to be a game winning shot.  This allowed VCU to tie it, and then win in overtime.  Last night, with 0.4 to play, they drew up an in-bounds play designed to draw a foul.  The player ran the baseline, the defender followed him, and ran over another VCU player who was standing there simply to draw a foul.  VCU go two freethrows, hit them both, and won the game against George Washington.  VCU is probably the most exciting team to watch in all of college basketball.  In two consecutive games, VCU has been down by a point with less than half a second to play….and they won both games!!

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-PURDUE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  It’s a conference rivalry game between two teams who appear to be safely in the tournament.  Purdue has really been playing well lately, but winning at Indiana is never easy.  Well, it’s not easy when the Hoosiers are playing up to their ceiling, which they do only some of the time.  Indiana’s profile is all over the place and a win could help stabilize it in addition to giving them the bragging rights.

-JAMES MADISON AT UNC WILMINGTON (Colonial).  If UNCW wins out the regular season but falls in the conference tournament they still have a chance of making the field, but that chance is probably less than 50 percent.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT DUKE (ACC).  It is the signature rivalry in all of college basketball.  Whether or not it is the most venomous, or even the best, is up for debate, but it is without question the most recognizable.  In addition to bragging rights, North Carolina is looking for what would be their biggest win of the year on paper and helping to cement them as a #2 seed or better, and Duke is looking to continue to improve and build their profile up to where they are considered a solid protected seed.  Some fun trivial about this rivalry!!  The two schools are only eight miles apart, and they’ve never met in the NCAA Tournament!  If you were to play a drinking game where you took a shot every time one of those two facts were mentioned, I bet you’d be in the hospital before the end of the first half.

-OLD DOMINION AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (Conference USA).  Middle Tennessee is coming off of a very damaging loss and simply cannot afford another one prior to the conference tournament.  Even if they win out it’s no guarantee they’ll make the filed without winning the automatic bid.

-WISCONSIN AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten).  I believe Wisky will end up as a protected seed.  They’ve actually climbed up to #7 in the polls, so they are certainly having another great year.  Nebraska has been tricky for them at times in the past, so although they should win it may not necessarily be a cakewalk.

-WASHINGTON STATE AT UTAH (Pac Twelve).  Utah is outside the bubble and they’ll need a strong finish and probably some help to end up on the right side of it.

-SMU AT TEMPLE (American).  SMU continues to cruise and will be wearing white in the Round of 64 if they keep it up.

-MISSOURI STATE AT WICHITA STATE (Missouri Valley).  The more I think about it, the more likely I think it is that Wichita will safely make the field if they win out through the regular season regardless of what happens in the conference tournament.  The merit on their resume isn’t that strong, but their predictive power ratings are very high, and although that doesn’t carry all the weight, it may carry enough weight to land them inside the bubble.

-OREGON AT UCLA (Pac Twelve).  This is a great showcase game between two Pac Twelve teams that are likely to end up as protected seed.  The first time these two met it was a great game and I’m anxiously awaiting round #2.

-GONZAGA AT LMU (West Coast).  It’s the same story with Gonzaga.  They’re ranked #1 and should end up with a #1 seed if they run the table, which they are certainly good enough to do.

-PORTLAND AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast).  This appears to be a huge mismatch and SMC should cruise.  They don’t want to get caught looking ahead to this weekend, but even if they do they should still pull out the win.